Bolivia 8 Reales 1617 "Atocha 1622 Shipwreck" PCGS VF
Click above image to view in eBay store
DATED 1617! Atocha Shipwreck Treasure: Bolivia, Potosí Cob 8 Reales, 1617 M ~ with Original Fisher COA!
This bold silver 8 reales cob, struck at the Potosí mint in 1617 under the assayer “M,” is not just a tangible artifact—it’s a survivor of one of the most famous shipwrecks in history: the 1622 loss of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha. Weighing 25.72 grams, the coin features a sharply struck full “617” date, unusually bold in lieu of the typically erased border. Its crisply rendered cross-lions-castles motif and well-detailed shield signal quality and craftsmanship despite light sea corrosion and a couple of small edge splits—conditions consistent with its Grade 2 designation. This specimen includes its original Mel Fisher tag and photo certificate (85A-142449), making it an authenticated piece of maritime and numismatic history.
The Atocha, the crown jewel of the 1622 Spanish treasure fleet, sank during a hurricane near the Florida Keys en route from Havana to Spain. Laden with silver, gold, emeralds, and artifacts from across the Spanish colonies, she went down in what was then the most devastating loss for the Spanish maritime empire. Onboard were over 180,000 silver coins—like this one—minted primarily in Potosí, the wealthiest silver-producing city in the world at the time, located high in the Andes of present-day Bolivia. The mountain that fed its mints, Cerro Rico, was so rich it was called “the mountain that eats men,” with indigenous and African slave labor sustaining the empire’s vast wealth.
In 1617, Spain was ruled by King Philip III, whose reign was marked by growing internal decay and a costly dependence on treasure fleets like the Atocha’s to fund imperial wars and royal extravagance. Although known for peace abroad after the signing of the Twelve Years’ Truce with the Dutch in 1609, Philip’s court was heavily influenced by corrupt favorites like the Duke of Lerma. Ironically, the outward prosperity of the Spanish Empire in this era masked the economic fragility that would culminate in financial collapse later in the century—events foreshadowed by catastrophes like the Atocha’s sinking.
After more than 350 years lost to the sea, the Atocha’s rediscovery in 1985 by Mel Fisher electrified the world. This coin, recovered from that fabled wreck, offers not only monetary history but a portal into the twilight of Spain’s Golden Age—a time of opulence and empire, peril and ambition, when silver fueled thrones and shipwrecks shaped legends.X
Click Here to read more about the 'Atocha 1622 Shipwreck'
This bold silver 8 reales cob, struck at the Potosí mint in 1617 under the assayer “M,” is not just a tangible artifact—it’s a survivor of one of the most famous shipwrecks in history: the 1622 loss of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha. Weighing 25.72 grams, the coin features a sharply struck full “617” date, unusually bold in lieu of the typically erased border. Its crisply rendered cross-lions-castles motif and well-detailed shield signal quality and craftsmanship despite light sea corrosion and a couple of small edge splits—conditions consistent with its Grade 2 designation. This specimen includes its original Mel Fisher tag and photo certificate (85A-142449), making it an authenticated piece of maritime and numismatic history.
The Atocha, the crown jewel of the 1622 Spanish treasure fleet, sank during a hurricane near the Florida Keys en route from Havana to Spain. Laden with silver, gold, emeralds, and artifacts from across the Spanish colonies, she went down in what was then the most devastating loss for the Spanish maritime empire. Onboard were over 180,000 silver coins—like this one—minted primarily in Potosí, the wealthiest silver-producing city in the world at the time, located high in the Andes of present-day Bolivia. The mountain that fed its mints, Cerro Rico, was so rich it was called “the mountain that eats men,” with indigenous and African slave labor sustaining the empire’s vast wealth.
In 1617, Spain was ruled by King Philip III, whose reign was marked by growing internal decay and a costly dependence on treasure fleets like the Atocha’s to fund imperial wars and royal extravagance. Although known for peace abroad after the signing of the Twelve Years’ Truce with the Dutch in 1609, Philip’s court was heavily influenced by corrupt favorites like the Duke of Lerma. Ironically, the outward prosperity of the Spanish Empire in this era masked the economic fragility that would culminate in financial collapse later in the century—events foreshadowed by catastrophes like the Atocha’s sinking.
After more than 350 years lost to the sea, the Atocha’s rediscovery in 1985 by Mel Fisher electrified the world. This coin, recovered from that fabled wreck, offers not only monetary history but a portal into the twilight of Spain’s Golden Age—a time of opulence and empire, peril and ambition, when silver fueled thrones and shipwrecks shaped legends.X
Click Here to read more about the 'Atocha 1622 Shipwreck'
|
|
|
|
|